Rising trend: Average pay deals for FTSE bosses have risen from about £1million to almost £5million since 1998

The report, from shareholder advisory service Manifest and pay consultants MM&K, said the average FTSE 100 chief executive earns 139 times more than their average employee.

While their pay packages have jumped from an average of £1million in 1998 to £4.8million today, staff average pay has risen far more modestly from £21,540 to £34,407.

Manifest warns that, ‘more disturbingly’, about one in four FTSE 100 bosses got a pay package increase of ‘41 per cent or more’ last year.

TOP 10 HIGHEST-PAID FTSE 100 BOSSES

Bob Diamond, Barclays £20.9m

Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP £11.6m

David Brennan, AstraZeneca £11.3m

Sir Andrew Witty, Glaxo £10.7m

Marius Kloppers, BHP Billiton £9.8m

Peter Voser, Shell £9.7m

Sir Frank Chapman, BG £9.6m

Michael Spencer, ICAP £9.3m*

Samir Brikho, Amec £8.9m

Dame Marjorie Scardino, Pearson £8.9m

Figures include salaries, bonuses and share options

*Previous year

Source: Manifest/MM&K

When measured in terms of total realisable remuneration – including salary, bonuses, pensions and share options – the biggest winner over the past year was Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond.

His £20.97million potential pay package dwarfs that of the second placed executive on the list, WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell. His £11.62million maximum package at the advertising group represented a 60 per cent increase on the previous year.

He is expected to face a shareholder rebellion today.

Next is David Brennan, on a potential £11.32million, who announced his retirement from pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca earlier this year.

He is followed by Sir Andrew Witty, on up to £10.75million as chief executive at fellow pharma group GlaxoSmithKline.

Fifth on the list is Marius Kloppers on a maximum £9.82million at the world’s biggest mining company, BHP Billiton. Meanwhile, business lobby group the CBI has warned pay freezes or paltry pay rises far below the rate of inflation are ‘the new normal’ for workers.

Retiring: AstraZeneca boss David Brennan was the third-highest earner on the list

During yesterday’s Treasury Select Committee hearing one Tory MP Jesse Norman questioned why senior executives are paid so much compared to other professions.

He said: ‘These people are being paid an enormous amount of money...for no skill at all.’

Last night shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said excess pay and rewards are ‘bad for our economy and bad for business.’

He said: ‘We need to strengthen and empower shareholders so that they can clamp down in cases where there are excessive awards.’

Wealthy: GlaxoSmithKline boss Sir Andrew Witty took home £10.7m last year, the survey found

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Fury as top bosses' pay soars yet again: Average rise of 12% for FTSE 100 fatcats